Community News

Village approves $15.96 million budget

Malverne residents face 4.96 percent tax increase

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The Malverne village board unanimously adopted a $15.96 million 2014-15 budget last week, an increase of close to $1.4 million over the current spending plan, with a tax increase of 4.96 percent.


At its April 17 meeting, the board quickly approved what Mayor Patricia McDonald described as a “workable and efficient” spending plan that will maintain all programs and services.

“When we first began this process, we were faced with a significantly higher increase,” McDonald said at the meeting. “However, all departments gave their total cooperation with our request to cut spending even further.”

McDonald noted that just over $13 million will be raised through property taxes, while the village’s expenses — $15.7 million this year — will increase by 1.63 percent due to a drop in revenue. Approximately $619,000 of Malverne’s fund balance will be used to offset the tax increase.

Based on a projected rate of $68.60 per $100 of assessed value, said Deputy Mayor Joseph Hennessy, the village’s budget director, the average homeowner will pay $4,459 in property taxes next year.

“We hope in our management [of the budget], with a magnifying glass, that we controlled spending better than we did in the prior year and we don’t get kicked with unexpected costs,” Hennessy said after the meeting, referring to harsh winter conditions that wreaked havoc with the village’s snow removal budget.

In preparing for another rough winter, Hennessy explained, the village allocated $1,700 for new snow-clearing equipment. He also noted that the village is still waiting for a $164,000 check for Hurricane Sandy damage from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a $91,000 reimbursement from a downtown redevelopment project last year.

While decreases in revenue such as mortgage taxes and bank interest are hurting the village’s bottom line, Hennessy said that its latest initiative, to switch to green energy sources — including the current installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system at Village Hall, and the digging of cold-water wells that will water grass on local properties at no cost — will hopefully reap savings on residents’ utility bills.

The 2014-15 budget will take effect June 1.